By George Leopold, EETimes (June 15, 2020)
A new front has opened in efforts to revive U.S. chip manufacturing as lawmakers propose billions of dollars in spending and tax incentives to promote technology innovation across the entire semiconductor ecosystem — from post-Moore’s Law basic research to advanced chip packaging.
While the Trump Administration seeks to block China’s access to U.S. chip making equipment via export controls, the CHIPS for America Act — as in “Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors — proposes to revive domestic chip-making, fund R&D, and secure technology supply chains.
Aside from the marketing aspects, CHIPS for America also earmarks at least $12 billion to fund existing Pentagon electronics “resurgence” efforts while spreading $5 billion across other federal agencies for semiconductor R&D. The largest chunk — $5 billion — would fund an IC packaging and assembly institute. That effort also would also create a $500 million investment fund to support a “domestic advanced microelectronics packaging ecosystem.”